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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. board — a committee
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. press — to push
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. drill — the tool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. board — to get on
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bore — to drill
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bore — to tire
  21. drill — army training
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. sharp — clever
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com